Thursday 31 / July / 2025
Muscat: A regional workshop titled“Use of the Indicator Simulation Tool for Policymakers in the Arab Region (ISPAR)” officially commenced today in Muscat.
The five-day event, running until 10 July, is organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and hosted by the Sultanate of Oman, represented by the National Competitiveness Office.
The workshop is part of a joint effort to strengthen institutional capacities across Arab countries by utilizing advanced tools that support evidence-based public policymaking. This Omani-hosted initiative aims to develop a comprehensive simulation platform incorporating a set of internationally recognized indicators used to assess national performance in vital areas such as economic integration, business environment, innovation, and digital technologies.
ISPAR is a flagship tool developed by ESCWA to assist policymakers in simulating the impact of proposed or anticipated reforms on their countries' rankings in international indices. By enabling robust, data-driven analysis, ISPAR supports strategic decision-making through enhanced capabilities in performance measurement, monitoring and evaluation, and obstacle analysis. It also enables the development of reform scenarios grounded in evidence, ultimately improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and coherence of public policies.
The workshop is held within the framework of ESCWA’s “Development Account” project titled:“Dynamic Simulation to Address Gaps in International Index Rankings in the Arab Region”, in which the Sultanate of Oman was selected as a pilot country. This selection reflects the commitment of the National Competitiveness Office to advancing a robust system for monitoring and tracking national performance in alignment with Oman’s position in international indicators.
The workshop targets members of the National Competitiveness Office along with policymakers from various national teams established by the National Competitiveness Committee. The workshop aims to achieve several key outcomes, including: Providing technical support to enhance the National Competitiveness Office’s international indicators platform, upgrading the user interface and streamlining the platform design to align with modern digital standards; Integrating ISPAR’s simulation and optimization features into Oman’s national platform; Reviewing methodologies of international indicators featured on Oman’s ISPAR country page to ensure consistency in definitions and data sources and introducing participants to the functionalities and practical applications of the ISPAR tool.
Participants are being trained to simulate the impact of policy changes on Oman’s rankings in selected indicators, analyze interlinkages between indicators to identify high-impact reforms, and develop and compare alternative policy scenarios. The workshop also includes sessions on designing coherent policy packages for short-, medium-, and long-term implementation, as well as assessing how reforms contribute to broader sustainable development goals.
ESCWA supports its 21 member states on their journey toward equality and prosperity. Its work is rooted in analyzing current regional trends in economic, social, and environmental spheres, guided by global United Nations frameworks, and informed by the unique realities and shared characteristics of the Arab region.
Believing in the power of regional integration, ESCWA provides a wide range of knowledge-based tools, statistical resources, and analytical capabilities that equip Arab countries to respond collectively to cross-border challenges. The region’s common language, culture, and aspirations provide a unified voice and shared platform for action at the national, regional, and global levels.
